Cations such as calcium, copper, iron, zinc, and magnesium among others are the most abundant minerals and are essential in several signaling pathways in all biological systems. Both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells are efficient in maintaining optimum levels of minerals in the cytosol, and therefore, selectively increasing the intracellular levels of minerals in order to modulate the cytosolic signaling pathways has been challenging. For example, intracellular Cu to Zn ratio is maintained and utilized by enzymes such as catalase to prevent accumulation of excess hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide dismutase to prevent excess accumulation of radical oxygen. Disrupting this mineral homeostasis has been demonstrated to be effective in inducing cell death selectively in cancer cells as compared to non-cancerous cells. For example, superoxide mimics, such as copper(II) (3,5-diisopropylsalicylate)2 (Cu(II)DIPS) have been shown to induce hydrogen peroxide accumulation due to the conversion of radical oxygen into hydrogen peroxide, with this accumulation of hydrogen peroxide leading to cell death in cancer cells. Conversely, given that relatively low levels of superoxide are generated in normal cells, increasing the levels of hydrogen peroxide in non-cancerous cells can lead to their proliferation and survival. Currently, delivery of cell permeable Cu (II) requires the use of solvents such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or ethanol and therefore making the formulation not particularly suitable for clinical translation. Therefore, there remains a need for development of effective delivery vehicles for cations, such as Cu (II), to the cytosol of the cells.